Acceptance
by Celeblass
Summary: A young Aragorn is brought to Rivendell and runs away into the woods.


Rating: PG-13 (I don't think there is anything particularly bad in it, but I need to be safe, right?)

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything in here, with the possible exception of my hunter's trap. Eveything else belongs to JRR Tolkien. I'm not making any sort of money from this, I just wrote this for fun. :)

Also, any spelling (or other) mistakes are purely my own, and I'm sorry if I've missed them.

Summary: A young Aragorn is brought to Rivendell and runs away into the woods.

**Acceptance**

Lord Elrond of Rivendell wearily entered his home, his gray eyes tired and his normally tidy hair sticking out at strange angles. Behind him were his twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, both identical in appearance, though easy to tell apart if one knew how to tell. And behind them was a silvan elf, Legolas, the prince of the elven realm Mirkwood. He was carrying a young, human child in his arms and was sporting an indifferent look, which the others knew to be a cover up. He was just as tired as they were and wasn't particularly thrilled about having to carry the child home. They had just returned from a gruesome battle where the child's father, Arathorn, had been killed, and his mother not long after. Elrond had seen to the human's last wish and took the boy. The child, three year old Aragorn, was sleeping soundly in the blonde elf's arms, showing no sign of waking up any time soon.

"Follow me," Elrond said to the wood elf. "He may sleep in the guest room next to mine." Leading the way through the many airy corridors, the elf lord thought of the circumstances behind this adoption. Though he did not regret it, he wondered how wise it would be to have a human child grow up amongst the elves. Elrond noticed that the twins were following but said nothing. He knew that the elder twin, Elladan, was already attached to Aragorn as if he were the elf's brother. Smiling to himself, Elrond stepped through an elaborate doorway and moved aside so the boy could be set on the bed. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad for the child, with the twins as companions. Even though the two elves were hundreds of years the boy's senior, they still acted as though they were children.

Elrond motioned for the others to leave, then he sat down on the edge of the bed and bent over the sleeping child. Aragorn, with his dark, shaggy hair, was curled loosely on his side, his face peaceful. The elf covered the child with an old quilt and quietly left the room.

A few minutes later, Elrond returned with a small wash basin filled with warm water, a wash cloth, and a bar of soap. Aragorn was filthy. The elf sat on the edge of the bed once more and started wiping the grime off of the child's face. Slowly, the little boy opened his eyes and stared up at the elf. Fear shone in Aragorn's gray eyes and he shrank away from the elf-lord's touch.

"Shhh, it's all right little one, I won't hurt you." But even with his calming voice, the child would not sit still and restrain his fear. Leaping up, Aragorn somehow managed to push the older elf over and run out of the room. By the time Elrond realized what had happened, it was too late. The boy was long gone.

Aragorn ran into the forest surrounding the house, deftly avoiding obstacles, especially for one so young. He was lost and confused and wanted his parents, particularly his father. With no where to go, he sat down beside the trunk of large tree. The child curled up in a ball and buried his face in his hands, tears streaming down his face.

"We must find him!" Elladan exclaimed after his father told him what had happened. He paced back and forth in front of his father and brother. "Being alone out there..." The young elf trailed off, looking helpless.

"What if he gets hurt?" said his twin, his eyes wide.

"All the more reason to find him now. I will stay here in case he returns. Do hurry." Elrond looked out the enormous window. He couldn't understand why he cared so much. It was almost as if the human child was his own son.

"I will go too, if that is all right," a voice declared behind him. It was Legolas, looking anxious to do something. He was fiddling with something in his pocket.

Elrond felt as though he couldn't speak, so he just nodded before forcing out the words. "Bring him back to me safe, Legolas. Please."

At the urgent tone of the elder being, the blonde elf turned and ran out of the house. He could feel Elrond's gaze through the window, making him go faster.

"Aragorn!" He shouted as he entered the forest. "Aragorn, where are you?"

Aragorn opened his eyes and sat up when he heard voices around him. They were calling his name. Unfortunately, he did not recognize any of them. Where were his parents, his father? Getting stiffly to his feet, the child set off again, heading away from the voices that were getting so close.

The boy's eyes were blurry from crying and he did not see the small hole. The next thing he knew, he was falling into a deep, dark hole. Aragorn crashed into the bottom of the pit and rolled over. That little hole was no longer little it was now the size of two horses and looked twice as deep. He wasn't hurt, or didn't seem to be, other than a deep gash over his left brow and down his cheek, and the fact that he couldn't move two fingers on his right hand. However, even with so few injuries, he still had no hope of getting out of the hole without any help. And he could no longer hear any of the voices that were calling his name. Finally, Aragorn sat down against the nearest wall and fell asleep.

"Aragorn!" Elrohir's voice was getting weak. It had been hours since they had gone out looking for the boy, and there was still no sign of him. It stumped him, how a child that young could escape and not be found, in that much time. He could not have gone that far. Giving up, the elf headed back towards the house, hoping that someone else had already found him.

Elladan, too busy looking for Aragorn, failed to notice a large root sticking out of the ground in front of him. Tripping over it, he ended up in a tangle of branches and vines. Struggling to get free, he only managed to entwine himself further in the mess. Being as frustrated as he was, he was not thinking straight and didn't until he could barely move at all. Cursing under his breath, he stopped moving. Trying as he might, Elladan could not reach his knife that was hanging off his belt. Suddenly someone fell on top of him, knocking his breath away. The figure slowly got up and started laughing.

Standing in front of the elf was his brother, Elrohir. Well, standing wasn't quite the word. Perhaps doubled over with laughter was a better was to describe it. Not finding the situation funny at all, especially since he could move even less now, Elladan growled at his brother.

"Stop your laughing and get me out of here! This is not funny!" The glare that he sent immediately sobered his twin. After a few small outbursts, Elrohir pulled the branches and vines away and helped his brother up. Seeing twigs and leaves sticking out of Elladan's hair, the younger elf couldn't help but start laughing again.

"For the love of Iluvitar, this is not funny! Stop it!"

Between hiccups, Elrohir grinned at his brother. "But you cannot see yourself. It is quite an... Arrangement you have in your hair." He reached forward and pulled a leaf from one of the dark locks. Elladan snatched it out of his twin's hand and threw it away.

"This is not the time or the place to be thinking of these things. We must find Aragorn, before it's too late."

With this serious note, the twins headed back to the house hoping that the child had been found.

Legolas was getting tired. He had been traveling hard all day, and now he was out looking for a lost child. Softly sighing, he stepped over a small log and almost into a hunters pit. Quickly, before tumbling in, he grabbed the log, steadying himself. The side of the pit crumbled away beneath his weight and he was thrown off-balance once more. Sliding down, the elf dug his foot into the earthen wall and halted his fall yet again. Being careful not to kick anything else loose, he slowly climbed out and sat on the log. Legolas was brushing dirt off of his tunic when he heard a noise from the bottom of the pit.

Aragorn was awakened suddenly by earth and pebbles falling on top of him. He jumped to the side as a larger rock landed where he had just been sleeping. Looking up, he saw someone climbing out of the hole. Soon they disappeared and the boy could not see them anymore. With a little sound of distress, Aragorn tried to reach for an exposed root to help pull himself out, but could not quite grab it.

Legolas jumped with surprise, not realizing that there was anything down there. Cautiously he leaned over the side, only to have a rock thrown at him. Quickly looking at his surroundings, the elf made his way around to the other side of the pit, grabbed a hold of a strong vine, and looked into the darkness. There, standing below him, was Aragorn, picking up another rock to throw. The child had blood running down his face, had a few tears in his clothes, and was awfully dirty, but other than that, he looked fine. In fact, he was amazed at how well such a young child had fared under the circumstances. This boy was going to be something special, he could tell.

"Aragorn?" he said, peering over the side. Legolas pushed a strand of his long hair behind his ear. "Aragorn, are you all right?"

The human child spun around and fell down. His big, gray eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he looked upwards.

"I'm going to get you out of there, okay?"

The child nodded. He was terrified.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Aragorn. But I am going to have to leave you for a moment. Will you be all right?"

Again the boy nodded. Legolas spotted another strong-looking vine nearby and cut it of with his knife. Knowing that the young human probably could not pull himself out, the elf tied the end of the vine to the end of the other one still attached to a nearby tree. After testing its strength, he leaned back over the edge of the pit.

"Aragorn, I'm coming down to get you. Do not be afraid. You're going to be fine." The silvan elf tied the end of his vine-rope around his waist with a strong knot., and closed his eyes as he stepped over the edge. Feeling the vine hold his weight, Legolas slowly lowered himself into the hole. Finally, he reached the bottom and the frightened child.

The elf sank to his knees in front of Aragorn and looked him over.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

The child shook his head.

"Did you fall down here by accident?"

He received a nod.

"Well, I know your name, but do you know mine?"

As expected, the boy shook his head once more.

"I didn't think so. My name is Legolas." The elf gently reached out and touched the human's shoulder. "I'm going to have to carry you out of here, okay?"

"Yes," Aragorn whispered, trusting the elf and having no other choice. The blonde being didn't look like he was about to harm him, so the child carefully moved closer to Legolas.

Legolas, smiling, picked up Aragorn and told him to hang on tight. Slowly, the elf climbed back up his makeshift rope and out of the hole. Setting the human down, he untied the vine from his waist then crouched down so he was close to eye level with the boy.

"Will you come back with me to the house, so Lord Elrond can fix you up?"

"Will you come with me?" Aragorn said trustingly.

"If you want me to."

Aragorn walked over and placed his hand in the elf's and looked up. Legolas, seeing how tired the child was, quietly leaned over and picked him up, heading back towards the Last Homely House, where Elrond waited.

Elladan and Elrohir trudged into their fathers house. Both were exhausted after days of almost no rest. Unfortunately, they didn't get very far before Elrond confronted them.

"Did you find Estel?"

Elrohir gave his father a blank look. "Estel? Why would we be looking for hope?"

Elrond raised an eyebrow, then asked patiently, "Aragorn. Have you found Aragorn?"

The younger twin shook his head and collapsed on a sofa. It was Elladan who answered. "No, father, we did not. He has disappeared, and we are tired. I feel bad giving up, but I cannot go much further without rest." He looked at his brother. "We decided to come back here to see if he had been found yet, but I take it that he has not..." The elf sank into a nearby chair. "Where could a child that young get to?" He said, mostly to himself.

"Father? Why did you call Aragorn, Estel?" Elrohir had been thinking of that for several minutes.

It took Elrond a moment to answer. "Because he will be the hope for us all in years to come. And so we shall call him until the time is right. From now on, he is not Aragorn son of Arathorn, but just Estel, adopted son of Elrond." The elf-lord sent his sons pointed looks and neither tried to disobey. They both were too tired and too worried to even try. Besides, the child had an effect on them.

"Seeing as Estel has not been found," Elladan said, wearily pushing himself out of the chair, "we had best continue looking for him." Elrohir nodded and followed his twin's example by getting up.

Suddenly, the front door opened, causing the three elves to swing around.

Legolas carried the boy out of the forest and up to the house. With some difficulty, he managed to open the door and get inside. He was immediately greeted by Lord Elrond and the twins.

"You found him!" exclaimed Elrohir.

"Where was he?" Elladan questioned.

Elrond hushed his sons and motioned for the Silvan elf to follow him. Making their way back to the guest room, Legolas lay the child upon the bed once more.

"I wish to be left alone with the boy, please," Elrond announced. Elladan and Elrohir hesitated slightly then left the room, but Legolas remained where he was. "That means you too, Legolas."

"I am afraid that I can not. I promised Aragorn that I would stay here with him."

The blonde elf received a warm smile for that remark. "Very well. But perhaps you should sit down before you fall down. You look like you are on the brink of exhaustion. It's been a long few days for everyone."

Gratefully, Legolas took a seat... On the edge of the bed. "In case he wakes up," he explained.

Elrond nodded, starting to wipe the blood and dirt off of Aragorn's face. "Since you are a part of this now, there are things you should know. Do you know Aragorn's ancestry?"

Legolas shook his head. "I only know that he was the son of Arathorn."

"Well, this child is now the heir of Isildur." The older elf grinned at Legolas's expression. Legolas's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped. "This also means that there will be evil forces searching for him. His true heritage must remain a secret until the time is right. That is why I have decided to call him Estel, and I would ask that you do to."

"Certainly." The silvan elf leaned over the child and said a small blessing. Looking back up at Elrond, he asked, "Will he be all right? I could not see many injuries, but with all that dirt..."

"He should be. Once he's cleaned up a little, his face bandaged, and his fingers reset, he'll be fine. I cannot see any other injuries and I do not believe he has a concussion." Elrond shrugged slightly, now that most of his worries were gone. He set the bowl and rag, with the dirty water, on a side table and placed his hand on Aragorn's forehead. "He is not ill, either. I think all he needs is a good night's rest."

Legolas nodded. "I think all of us do. The twins looked especially bad."

"You don't look too great, either," said a voice from the doorway. Elladan had returned and was leaning against the doorway. "And you smell bad." The twin waved his hand in front of his face. "Almost as bad as my brother."

Legolas glared at the dark-haired elf. "At least I'm not wearing twigs as an accessory. They belong on trees, not in your hair."

"Well I happen to like them..." Elladan pulled another leaf out of his hair, going almost cross-eyed as he looked at it. Before it fully came out, it was entangled in another lock. "Sort of."

Elrond rolled his eyes. "Okay, out with you. Both of you. I don't want Estel waking up."

"But-" the two younger elves said at the same time. They received a stern look from the elf-lord.

"No buts! You both need to get cleaned up and rested, anyway. Now go."

Elladan sighed and pushed off from the door frame and disappeared down the hall. Legolas, however, merely stood up. "What if he wakes up and I am not here? I did promise."

"Let me worry about that, Legolas. Go get some rest and come back when you don't look like you are about to fall over. Estel will be fine."

The Silvan elf shot one more look to the sleeping child then left the room. He went into his chambers, washed his face and hands, then collapsed on his bed for the night.

Lord Elrond watched Legolas leave the room and admired the elf's stamina. He knew that Legolas was exhausted, and yet the edhel had still wanted to stay by Estel because of a promise. It was concerning, as well. Elrond knew of Legolas's dislike of men, and was not sure of what to think. He just hoped that the change was for the better.

The Elf-lord tucked Estel under the quilts and left the room, making sure to post a guard outside. He didn't want the child running away again.

Estel rolled over and stretched. After yawning, he opened his eyes and looked around. What he saw, shocked him.

The human was lying on a huge, four-poster bed with pale green quilts, in a large, bright room. The walls were painted a cream color that complimented the wooden floor and trim. There were shelves on a wall, and a chest of drawers leaning against another. A small, bedside table was on the right-hand bed with a large, padded chair beside it. Also, there was a big picture window that could be opened, which led to a balcony. The curtains on this window were almost the same pale green as the quilts. There were several rugs on the beautiful floor and a few potted plants.

Aragorn blinked a few times and sat up, confused. The child pushed back the covers and crawled over to the edge of the bed. He looked over the side to judge the distance to the floor, then swung around, closed his eyes, and slid off the bed. He absorbed most of the impact with his legs, like his father had showed him, then opened his eyes and ran for the door. Just as he reached it, he ran into someone. Looking up, he saw that it was Legolas.

Legolas groaned when he woke up. He was still tired, and he ached slightly, but he knew it was time to get up. Stifling a yawn, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. The elf went to wipe his eyes when he noticed he was still wearing his grimy clothes from the day before. Glancing over his shoulder, he noted the dirt on the sheets.

"Just my luck," he grumbled to himself.

Pushing himself up and off the bed, Legolas made his way to the door and looked out. He managed to find someone to bring him water for a bath and waited...

After bathing, the silvan elf put on a clean tunic and leggings, and fixed his hair. When he felt ready, Legolas left his room and headed downstairs. Then he remembered the child. Slowing down, he turned and went back up the hallway. He entered the chamber and stumbled into the human heading towards the doorway.

"Aragorn!" He exclaimed, catching his balance and bending down to the child's level. "Where are you going?"

"Where am I?" The young human replied.

"You're in the house of Elrond. Do you remember me bringing you here?"

Aragorn nodded.

"That's good. So how about you come with me, and you can meet Lord Elrond, then we can go have some breakfast. What do you say?"

The child nodded again. Legolas smiled and led the way into the hall.

The elf was the last person Aragorn expected to see. He thought that Legolas had left him all alone. When it was explained to him that he was in the house of Elrond, and Legolas was still there, the child relaxed. So Estel followed the blonde being into the hall and away from the room.

Soon the human watched as Legolas knocked on an elaborate door and was let in. The silvan elf motioned for Aragorn to follow, so he tottered in. Standing there was a tall, dark-haired elf that looked majestic to the young human. The elf crouched down.

"I am Elrond," he said. "And this is my home, and now yours."

Aragorn looked up, shocked. His home? Since when?

The Elf-lord saw the child's confusion, and gave him a warm smile. "Beginning today, this is your home. Your father asked me to bring you here."

"My father?" The child said, almost whispering. "Where is he? Is he here?"

Legolas and Elrond shared a meaningful look.

"I am afraid not, Aragorn. He is now in... In the Halls of Mandos. You will not be seeing him again." Elrond tried to be gentle, but it was hard when you had to bring the news of death.

Tears began to well up in the small human's eyes. Slowly he stumbled over to Legolas, who was closer, and grabbed the elf's tunic. Aragorn burst into tears, hugging the edhel's leg.

Legolas, however, sent a look for help to Elrond. He wasn't used to children, especially not of human origin. Lord Elrond came over and picked up Aragorn.

"It will be okay, little one," he whispered. "You will be safe here, with us. And to make things even more special, I will give you a new name." The elf found it necessary to lie a little, to make things easier later. "I think we shall call you Estel. What do you think of that?"

Aragorn wiped his bleary eyes with the back of his hand. "Estel?"

"Yes, Estel. It means hope."

The child swallowed and looked into Elrond's eyes. "But, but who will take care of me?"

"I will. You will be like my son." He tried to change the subject. "Perhaps you would like to meet your new brothers?"

Estel nodded. "Is Legolas one of them?"

Elrond laughed slightly. "No, I don't think so. But your brother's are twins and have dark hair. Their names are Elladan and Elrohir."

"Oh. Can I meet them now?" Aragorn had given up being fearful in this house. Legolas was there with him, and Elrond seemed nice enough, especially since he wanted to be like his father.

Smiling and still carrying Estel, Elrond walked out of the room and downstairs, followed by Legolas. They entered the dining hall and were greeted by Elladan.

"Father!" he said, eyes wide. "You brought him down here?"

Elrohir sauntered up behind his brother and kicked him lightly on the calf. "Obviously," he whispered into is twin's ear. Then Elrohir stepped around Elladan and smiled at the child. "Good morning, Estel. I'm Elrohir," he glanced over his shoulder, "and that's my twin brother, Elladan."

"These are your new brothers," Elrond whispered to the child. "Do you know how to say hello to an elf?"

Aragorn shook his head.

"You say, mae govannen. Perhaps you would like to try?"

The child grinned a little and looked at Elrohir. "Mae govannen, Elrohir."

The twin's smile widened. "Are you going to join us for breakfast?" He leaned in closer. "You can sit next to me, if you like. I can protect you from my brother. I am afraid he tends to bite."

"I do not!"

Elrohir grinned at his twin. "We all know you do. Don't try and deny it."

"Father!"

"Elrohir, leave your brother alone!" Elrond quickly put a stern look on his face. Softening his features, he returned his gaze to Aragorn. "Don't worry, my Estel, he does not bite. But you may choose where you wish to sit."

In the end, the child was sitting between Elrond and Elrohir, with Legolas seating across the table.

And so Aragorn came to live in Lord Elrond of Imladris's home as Estel, his adopted son.

THE END


End file.
